LAHORE: A hitman allegedly shot dead a suspect in the murder case of PML-N MNA Afzal Khokhar’s nephew in district court here on Monday.

He was hired for Rs1 million to kill murder suspect Aslam alias Acha Bhatti, initial police inquires said.

He had been paid Rs0.5m and was promised the remaining payment after the task.

On Monday, Acha Bhatti was brought to the district court in police custody when the gunman allegedly ambushed him and killed him.

The police, however, arrested the assailant red-handed and recovered from him a pistol.

Identified as Raza Khan, the attacker was said to be gunman of one of the Afzal Khokhar’s relatives, the police said.

Aslam was arrested by a team of Crime Investigating Agency (CIA) Lahore from Balochistan where he had taken refuge shortly after killing Khokhar’s nephew Imran Shafi.

On Jan 4, 2018, two people were allegedly killed and six others injured when two rival parties - Ashraf Bhatti and Malik Aslam groups - exchanged fire during a wedding in Johar Town.

Quoting Raza Khan, City Division SP Ali Raza told Dawn that he was hired by one Tabassum to kill Aslam for Rs1m.

“I received Rs500,000 as token money to kill Aslam in the district court and under an agreement I will be paid the rest after completing the task,” the SP said while quoting the alleged killer.

He told the police that a man namely Musa had managed a pistol and concealed it in a washroom in the court.

As per the plan, he picked up the pistol from the washroom Musa pointed out during a meeting with him on the court premises, Raza Khan told the investigators.

“Resident of Pashtoonabad, Peshwar, the assailant is youngest among seven siblings – four sisters and three brothers,” the SP said.

He had been earning his livelihood in Lahore as labourer and was later hired as gunman by Tabassum.

The murder plot was hatched at Thokhar Niaz Beg, the suspect told the police.

The SP said police were awaiting application by the deceased’s relatives to lodge a case against the suspect arrested by the police red-handed.

The body was shifted to the city morgue for autopsy, he said adding that the case would be lodged once the report was filed.

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2018